3. Our History
The Johnston family originally settled in Toronto Gore
(now Brampton) in 1842.
Currently operating as a joint-venture partnership
with James & Frances Johnston, Graham Johnston,
and Mary Ann and Joe Doré.
Moved the milking herd to New Dundee in March 2011.
Heifers moving to New Dundee in January 2015.
4. Our Operation
Milking: 60-64 cows, 2x/day.
Herd: 74 cows, 70 heifers, all purebred Holsteins.
Cropping: 650 acres (New Dundee: 400ac,
Brampton: 250ac.)
Growing: Hay, Corn Silage, Grain Corn, Wheat, IP
Soybeans
Sales: Purebred Holsteins, hay & haylage, straw
(not in 2014, though)
5. Our Herd
34L/cow @ 4.1 BF, 3.4 PT
SCC: 200,000
Average DIM: 153
Preg Rate: 26% (last 6 months), 23% (last 12 months)
40% 1st , 28% 2nd, 32% >3rd Lactation
Voluntary Wait Period: 55 DIM
Average DIM to 1st Breeding: 70 DIM
Average Days Open: 126 DIM
Average Age at First Calving: 23.7 months
6. Our Barn
H-style, 4-row head-to-head freestall with 2 bedded
packs.
48” stalls for cows, 36” stalls for breeding age heifers
2 milking groups, 1 far-off dry cow group, 1 close-up dry
cow group.
2x8 herringbone parlour.
Automatic sort-gate with 20’x60’ sort pen in breezeway.
Rubber in front alleys, crossovers, holding area.
Diamond-grooved concrete back alleys.
Automatic alley scrapers
Automatic shuttle scraper retrofitted into “flow” gutter.
7.
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9.
10. Composted Manure as Bedding
In use since moving to new barn in
March 2011.
Made using a Daritech Bedding Master
6-16.
Liquid manure is agitated, then
pumped into an EYS Screw Press.
Liquids go to outdoor storage while
solids enter the Bedding Master.
11. Composted Manure as Bedding
Solids tumble in the Bedding Master
drum for 36-48 hours.
Bedding exits the Bedding Master onto
a set of conveyors and is transported to
the bedding storage bay.
Bedding is taken from storage bay and
spread into the stalls every Wednesday
and Friday morning.
Bedding is also used to bed the sort
pen every 1-2 months.
14. Why Composted Manure?
Deep, loose bedding unequaled for cow comfort.
Fear of sand.
Wear and tear.
Hard work.
Supply.
Manure management.
Fear of straw.
Supply.
Manure management.
Environment.
Fear of sand applied to the fields over multiple generations.
Nutrient Management.
Impact of sand (gravel pits).
15. Why Composted Manure?
Targeted application of solid manure.
Easy application of a pure liquid manure.
No agitation required at time of application.
Easily drag-lined.
Reduced liquid storage requirements.
No bedding added to manure cycle (made up entirely of food fibers).
Solids removed from liquid storage requirement.
Credit applied during Nutrient Management application at OMAFRA.
Endless supply of bedding.
Always more bedding than we need for the stalls.
Conveniently stored inside and always accessible.
16. How We Bed Using Composted Manure
Add fresh bedding on
Wednesdays and
Fridays using a Becker
80HTL Woodchuck side
slinger attachment on a
John Deer 320D skid
steer with solid tires.
17. How We Bed Using Composted Manure
Pull back bedding
on Mondays with
a Bobcat 323
mini-excavator.
18. How We Bed Using Composted Manure
Groom stalls 2x
daily with a
Mensch sand-
groomer
attachment on
the skid steer.
19. How We Bed Using Composted Manure
Apply Stalosan Bedding
conditioner/sanitizer
every morning using an
AgMini push-style
electric side-spreader.
20. Our Schedule
AM PM
Monday 1. Pull bedding back from front
2. Apply Stalosan
1. Groom
Tuesday 1. Groom
2. Apply Stalosan
1. Groom
Wednesday 1. Groom
2. Bed milking groups
3. Apply Stalosan
1. Groom
Thursday 1. Groom
2. Apply Stalosan
1. Groom
Friday 1. Groom
2. Bed milking groups & heifers
3. Apply Stalosan
1. Groom
Saturday 1. Groom
2. Apply Stalosan
1. Groom
Sunday 1. Groom
2. Apply Stalosan
1. Groom
21. Udder Health
SCC: 350,000 200,000 after moving from tie-stall.
SCC as low as 78,000 but as bad as 350,000.
Mastitis: 1-2 clinical cases per month.
Factors:
Teat end health.
Stall condition
Stall cleanliness
Stall dimension
Consistency
Striving for consistent 150,000 SCC and reduced clinical
mastitis.
22. Important
Stalosan = 10,000 – 20,000 SCC reduction
Grooming 2x daily = 50,000 SCC reduction
Stall maintenance & dimensions
Increased stall occupancy
Increased lying time
Straighter cows
Cleaner stalls
Fresh cow health/monitoring critical to reducing
illness, including mastitis.
23. Costs
Fuel ($175/month)
Screens & equipment maintenance
($500/month)
Electricity (~$400/month with TOU Hydro
schedule)
Stalosan ($100/month)
24. Costs
Specialized equipment :
Skid steer, side slinger, groomer, lime spreader, mini-
excavator.
Labour: including (34 hours/month)
Total: $55/day, < $0.59/stall/day (+ capital
costs)
25. Savings
• No bedding to purchase.
• Relatively small storage for bedding (continuous flow).
• Liquid manure is easy to spread.
• $6,800 to drag hose vs. $10,000 to tanker vs.
$15,000 to haul sand
• No wear on equipment.
26. Pros & Cons
Pros Cons
Endless supply Labour intensive, cow wait-time.
Cow comfort Bedding packs hard over time
Cow cleanliness Wide range of equipment needed for
maintenance
Non-abrasive Will not flow well in a gravity system
Pure liquid manure Can lead to slippery floors
Indoor storage Equipment maintenance
No bedding to purchase Retains moisture & bacteria
Pack bedding Grooming is hard on skid steer tires
Environmentally friendly Udder health issues if management slips
Targeted solid manure application
27. Things to consider…
Volume of bedding spilled from stalls is significant.
Tail-to-tail stalls may be better for loading alley scraper
evenly.
Flow gutter will not work without mechanical assistance.
Bedding is highly absorbent but also dries to a fine
dust.
Curtains equipped with wind/rain sensor are a must.
Side-slinger works best from directly behind the stall.
Planned on bedding both stalls from one side.
Slinger will throw far enough, but very messy and doesn’t
apply bedding evenly.
28. Things to consider…
Not suited to a one-person operation.
Labour
Timing
Composted Bedding will NEVER outdo
mats/mattresses/water beds for labour and cost
efficiency but is a very attractive option for
loose bedding.
47. Outline
Farm Description
Past Bedding Program
Current Bedding Program
Effects on Herd Health
DHIA Facts
Economics of Sand
Sand Challenges
Summary
69. - Herd Management Score 924
- Avg. S.C.C 81,000
- 10 years General Milk Quality Award 2002-2011
- 3 years Gold Milk Quality Award 2012-2014
- Calving interval 12.3 months
- Avg. days open 98
- Avg. D.I.M 145
70. - Preg. Rate 26
- 38% 1st. lact. 22% 2nd. 40% 3rd. and later
- Voluntary wait 1st. lact 60 days , 2nd and
later 50 days
- Avg. milk production DHIA 38.4 litres/day
3.9 B.F 3.3 Protein
- B.C.A 259-263-256
- Age at 1st calving 23.8 months
83. Liquid Manure Pit near
Empty Liquid ring created on outside
of pit
Center mount of Sand is
gradually mixed into outer
liquid ring
Liquid from adjacent heifer
pit added to help mix
Manure Removal cost
increases with more equipment
84. Extra Sand Challenges
Delivered Frozen Sand
Dulls clipper blades
Abrasive to anything sand comes into
contact with ie. milk pumps, washing
machines, inflations etc.
Physical labour/ heavy material
Inconsistent freestall dimension
85. Extra Sand Challenges
Cont…
Regular surfaces like cattle trailers and straw bedded box
stalls becomes slippery because cows are not used to a
surface without sand particles.
Sand is a non-renewable resource.
Requires increase fiber in diet (not eating bedding)
Sand dries out cows teats
86. Summary
Economical bedding choice
Great Udder Health and Cow Comfort
Poses challenges in the manure system
Appraise nature causes wear and tear
If building new again would choose sand
bedding.
Would consider sand separation in the future
for reusing bedding.
